Letter 254: Your letters are themselves a festival -- as is everything that arrives from you.

To Demetrius. (361) Your letters are themselves a festival -- as is everything that arrives from you. And you did well to find the right moment for the gifts: this time you truly sent them to us, whereas before they would have fallen into the hands of those who were looking to seize things. Euphemius will give you the full replies when he arrives. At the moment he has run off at a summons to the emperor, who is enjoying the hunt. As for the grain, I expect the good Olympius will move heaven and earth, but I think he will accomplish little or nothing -- not much better than nothing at all. The reason: the man who has the power to distribute it has sworn war against the Muses.

Δημητρίῳ. (361) Ἀλλ᾿ αὐτά γε ἑορτὴ τὰ σὰ γράμματα καὶ πᾶν ὅ τι περ ἂν ἀφικνῆται παρὰ σοῦ. καλῶς δὲ ἐποίησας καιρὸν τοῖς ξενίοις εὑρών· νῦν μὲν γὰρ ἡμῖν ὡς ἀληθῶς ἔπεμψας, τότε δ’ ἂν εἰς τὰς χεῖρας τῶν ἁρπάζειν βλεπόντων. ὁ μὲν οὖν Εὐφήμιος ἐπειδὰν ἔλθῃ, δώσει τὰς ἀποκρίσεις. νῦν μὲν γὰρ ὡς τὸν ὡς σιλέα θήρᾳ τερπόμενον ἔδραμε καλούμενος. ὑπὲρ δὲ τοῦ σίτου πάντα μὲν οἶμαι κινήσειν τὸν χρηστὸν Ὀλύμπιον, πρά- ξειν δὲ ἢ οὐδὲν ἢ μικρόν, οὐ πολύ τι βέλτιον τοῦ μηδενός. τὸ δὲ αἴτιον, ὁ τοῦ δοῦναι κύριος ὀμώμοκε πολεμήσειν ταῖς Μούσαις.